The Birthday
by Danni1989
Summary: My version of 3.01.  Caroline throws Elena a birthday party.  Elena is ignoring the "goobye" kiss she shared with Damon at the end of season 2.  After a stressful evening, Damon confronts Elena about it.  Better than it sounds.  R&R.


i just found this on my computer, after having written it right after the season premier. amazing episode, but this is my version. Hope you like it, some things are the same, and others are completely different. One-shot. Let me know what you think. and i apologize if anyone else has done this, i dont mean to offend you. Let me know waht you think. reviews are a writers best friend. thank you so much.

PS i do not own Vampire Diaries, Damon, Elena, or any other the other amazing characters, though i wish i did.

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><p>"I told you I didn't want a party." Elena said through the phone to a cheerful Caroline.<p>

"Too bad. It's your birthday. You have to have a party. With people fawning over you and all that fun stuff." Caroline said, while walking around town, her arms loaded with bags.

"Its just too soon Care." Elena begged just as Damon walked through the bedroom door.

"I know you're sad that Stefan is missing. But you need to try to move on. Stefan will come back, you know he will. Just try to have fun tonight." Caroline begged.

"Fine. For you I will try." Elena said..

"Good. Wear something pretty." Caroline said before disconnecting the call.

"Caroline's right you know. You need to have some fun tonight." Damon said walking to stand beside her in the mirror.

"I don't want to. I feel there is so much more I could be doing. I need to find Stefan. I love Stefan." she said. Hurt passed across Damon's face, but was quickly masked over with a detached expression.

"I know you love him. But we cant find him he is gone. Onto a brighter subject, I brought you something." he said pulling a box out of his pocket.

"I didn't want gifts." she said.

"I didn't buy it." Damon told her. Elena looked at him pointedly when he said that. He opened the box to show her vervain filled necklace.

"Thank you Damon." Elena said sincerely.

"I found it in Alaric's loft. Thought you might want it back." he said softly.

"Thank you." she repeated. He held the necklace out to her and she turned to face the mirror so he could fasten the necklace around her neck. His hands lingered on her neck for just a moment before pulling them back to his side.

"Shall we?" he asked holding out his arm.

"We shall." she answered taking his arm and letting him lead her out the door. They walked down the stairs together, before being intercepted by Caroline.

"I thought it was going to be small." she said surprised by the amount of people congregated in Damon's living room.

"Sorry. You hate it don't you?" Caroline said worried.

"It's fine. It'll take my mind off of you know what for a while." Elena said smiling at Caroline.

"Good. Let's go get you a drink." Caroline said pulling Elena by the arm. Damon watched them leave before venturing throughout the party.

He hated that Elena was still so caught up on Stefan. Although honestly, he wasn't surprised. They always picked Stefan. That's how it used to be, that's how it was and that is how it would stay, presumably for all of eternity. She was brushing off their kiss as nothing more than a goodbye kiss. He heard her telling Caroline that, and it hurt more than he would ever let on. In his mind, it was the furthest thing from a goodbye kiss. He went outside and saw Alaric sitting on a low wall.

"This is really awkward isn't it?" Alaric asked upon seeing Damon walking over.

"What?" he asked confused.

"Being an adult- teacher, at a high school party." he said.

"try being a more than a century old vampire at a high school party." Damon scoffed.

"Right. I hate this Damon. I hate feeling all lost. I hate taking up space in they're lives. They don't need me there. All I'm doing is sleeping on their couch, and they wont kick me out. They need to get on with they're lives." he fretted.

"Have a few more drinks. It'll make the party more fun." he said walking away.

Wandering around the house Elena somehow ended up in Damon's room. She found Caroline in there drinking a bag of blood.

"Taking a break?" Elena asked.

"I was starting to feel like I was about to rip someone's head off, so I decided it would be time for a drink. What about you? Hiding?" she asked.

"Sort of. I cant stop thinking about Stefan. I need to save him Care." she said.

"I know. But just enjoy tonight. Forget about it for one night. Please." she begged.

"I'll try. I just cant get it out of my mind. I cant get him off my mind." she said trying to explain.

"Okay." Caroline said pulling Elena in for a hug.

Meanwhile, Damon was on his way to the news station. He had a message from Andi saying she wanted him to come to the station. Upon his arrival , he knew something was wrong. It was too quiet. Silently he walked through the building until he came to a closed door. Opening it he was shocked to see Andi high above the floor.

"Don't move Andi." Damon called up. He turned when he saw Stefan emerge from the shadow's.

"Stefan." Damon said seeing his brother.

"Leave me alone Damon. I'm gone." Stefan said finally.

"No your not. I wouldn't care but there is a very sad birthday girl at home who misses you. Elena misses you." Damon said while Andi trembled high above the ground.

" Leave us alone. I gave him 10 years of servitude and that's what I'm gonna give him. You don't know what I can do Damon." Stefan said threateningly.

"What can you do Stefan?" Damon asked sarcastically.

"This. Andi you can move now." he said calling up to her. Andi took a step forward and fell to the ground, dying instantly. In the time that it took Damon to rush to her side, Stefan disappeared. Seeing she was dead, he left heading home. Needing a drink and to be alone in the sanctuary of his room.

Elena sat in Damon's room waiting for him to come back. Just before she left his room she saw his closet door partially open and went to investigate. She seen the evidence of Damon's investigation on Stefan. Angrily she pulled it all down from the walls and put it in piles. When she heard Damon enter the room she turned to face him.

"What's all this?" she demanded.

"I'm not in the mood. I've had a horrible night." he said moving past her.

"I just found out that you were doing an investigation behind my back. You told me it was stupid to try and find Stefan, but yet you do it anyway. And you keep me out of it." she yelled.

"Can you leave? Please." he said.

"No." Elena said stubbornly.

"Look Elena. Stefan is a ripper. He tears bodies limb from limb. All the killings that I've documented were all him. I've seen it happen before." he said.

"No Stefan wouldn't do that." she said.

"He did. Is that the man you love?" he asked.

"It is. He isn't doing this. It must be Klaus." she said refusing to believe that Stefan could do something like that Damon said down on the edge of his bed, not wanting to argue with Elena anymore. Just wanting to forget that this day ever happened.

"Why are you still so caught up on Stefan? He's gone." he said standing up frustrated.

"I love Stefan. Damon. It will always be Stefan." she said firmly.

"I am so sick of hearing that Elena. I know you love Stefan. And that it will always be him. Even though he is gone." he said angrily.

"I love Stefan. He'll come back to me. You'll see." she said. Frustrated Damon took a step forward and kissed her with everything he had. He kissed her fiercely and she stayed motionless beneath his lips. When he pulled away she glared at him.

"I love Stefan." she repeated.

"I know that. But I love you. And when you kissed me that night, I know you felt something too." he argued, grabbing her by the shoulder.

"I didn't feel anything. It was a goodbye kiss." she said softly.

"It wasn't. I know you felt something. I know you did. You cant lie to me, and you cant hide the fact that you care for me too." he said sliding his hands down from her shoulders to cup the tops of her arms.

"Damon… I cant." she said pulling away from his hold. Damon said down again defeated.

"What's with Stefan? And why do the girls I fall for always fall for him. Katherine. You." he said speaking softly. Elena stopped in her tracks, never before hearing the vulnerability that was now present in Damon's voice.

" You see, I know in the past that he was a much better man than I am, but I've changed. I've evolved. I've tried to be a better person for you. But that didn't work. What's the point in being a better person when all you get is pain?" he wondered.

"I'm sorry Damon." Elena said softly, slowly gravitating towards him.

"I love Katherine, she chooses Stefan. I like Rose, she dies. I like Andi, she's dead. I love you, and you choose Stefan. It's okay. I'm used to it. Everyone either chooses Stefan or they die. The worst part is, that you're exactly like Katherine. You lead me on, make me believe that you have feelings for me that match what I feel for you, when you don't. When in reality you care only about my brother." he said getting up to walk out of the room. She grabs his hand on the way by, never having heard such sadness in his voice before. It made her heart swell with something that was indefinable. He stopped with the feeling of his hand in his and turned to face her. Slowly she took a step forward and cradled his face in one of her hands, tracing his jaw line with her fingers. He stared in her eyes, waiting for whatever it was she wanted to do. Surprising them both she stood up on her tiptoes and pressed a feather soft kiss on his lips. She broke the kiss moments later and smiled up at him.

"You were right all along." she said smiling softly, and then a real, genuine smile lit up Damon's face as he pulled her closer to his body hugging her tightly.

"I'm sorry it took so long." she mumbled into his shirt knowing he'd hear.

"It's okay. At least you figured it out sometime." he said brushing her long brown hair away from her face. For once in his long existence, Damon fell in love with someone, who chose to love him back,


End file.
